Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns
Poll shows strong support for a common defence force, with varying levels of national backing.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Ukrainian servicemen from the 24th Mechanised Brigade (AFP/Getty)
Photograph: The Independent (US) (embedded from source)
What this story says
- A GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report found 71% of Europeans support the creation of an EU army.
- 82% of Romanians surveyed backed the idea, the highest national figure, while 78% of Europeans want to strengthen EU defence alongside NATO.
- Concerns about the reliability of US support for European security are a significant factor influencing these attitudes.
- The report surveyed 14 countries, with support for an EU army noted across all surveyed member states.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 21 of the 33 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
45/100
33 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 2 of the 12 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
A majority of Europeans support the establishment of a common EU army and the enhancement of the bloc's defence capabilities, according to the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report. The survey, which polled citizens in 14 countries, found that 71% of respondents favour the creation of an EU army. Additionally, 78% of Europeans believe the EU should develop its own defence capabilities in parallel with NATO.
National support levels varied, with Romania showing the highest backing at 82%. Lithuania recorded 78% support, and France 75%. Germany, historically more cautious about defence integration, showed 69% support. The report also noted that concerns about the reliability of US support for European security are a contributing factor to these attitudes.
Disagreement on US reliability
While the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report indicates concerns about the reliability of US support are a factor in European attitudes towards defence, the specific wording and emphasis on this point differ. The Independent (US) and The Independent reported that concerns about the reliability of US support were a factor. SANA, citing POLITICO, also noted growing uncertainty over U.S. security. Stirile Antena 1 Observator mentioned growing concerns about the reliability of United States support. nin.rs and face.ba highlighted concerns about the reliability of the United States as a security partner. dnews.gr stated that Europeans see the US as a "threat" and noted declining trust in the United States. 1news.com.ua indicated a palpable distrust of the reliability of the United States. Unknown also noted growing concern about the reliability of the United States. vz.ru mentioned doubts about US reliability. However, Portfolio's full report stated that more than a third of Europeans already view the United States as a security threat, a detail not explicitly stated in the other reports' digests.
What the coverage left out
None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mentioned the specific figure of 82% of Romanians surveyed supporting the creation of an EU army, a detail present in the unrated reports from Mediafax, nin.rs, caleaeuropeana.ro, vecernji.ba, and vz.ru. The left-rated reports from The Independent (US) and The Independent did not mention the specific figure for Romania. The centre-rated report from Portfolio did not mention the specific figure for Romania. The right-rated report from vz.ru did mention the specific figure for Romania.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 17 times, most recently on 13 Nov 2026, 19:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Ennyit fog érni a budapesti lakásod fél év múlva - Pontos számokat mondtak a szakértők
Portfolio — embedded from source
A Polish Army Leopard 2PL tank drives in front of fire blast during Polish Army training demonstration in Nowa Deba, Poland, on Sept. 7, 2026. | Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images
Politico Europe — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
8 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led with the high level of European support for an EU army. The Independent (US) and The Independent highlighted that "Europeans overwhelmingly back creation of EU army amid fears of war with Russia." SANA reported that "Survey finds 71% support EU army in 11 member states" and noted growing uncertainty over U.S. security. Politico Europe's headline stated, "European citizens overwhelmingly back creation of an EU army, survey finds." These reports also carried figures on overall support and strengthening defence capabilities alongside NATO.
Centre
2 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports focused on the broad support for an EU army and the desire to strengthen defence capabilities. Portfolio's headline read, "Europeans Would Recruit an Army Under the EU Flag, Hungary Would Contribute Two-Thirds," and its full report noted that "more than a third of Europeans already view the United States as a security threat." Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija's headline was "Politico: Most Europeans Support the Idea of Creating a Common EU Army," and it mentioned growing concerns about the credibility of the United States.
Right
2 rated outlets
- The right-rated report, vz.ru, led with "Europeans Massively Supported the Creation of an EU Army." It stated that 71% of Europeans want to form their own EU military forces against the background of doubts about US reliability. The report also cited the highest levels of approval in Romania (82%), Lithuania (78%), and France (75%).
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns?
- Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 67% are rated left, 16% are rated centre, 17% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 33. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 67% are rated left, 16% are rated centre, 17% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns biased?
- Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns is one event reported by 33 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Europeans Back EU Army Amid US Reliability Concerns?
- 33 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What percentage of Europeans support the creation of an EU army?
- According to the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report, 71% of Europeans support the creation of an EU army. This sentiment is widespread across the 14 countries surveyed in the report.
- Which country showed the highest support for an EU army?
- Romania showed the highest level of support for an EU army, with 82% of respondents in the country backing the initiative, according to the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report.
- What role do concerns about US support play in European attitudes?
- Concerns about the reliability of US support for European security are a significant factor influencing European attitudes towards defence and the creation of an EU army, as indicated by the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report.
Read it at the source
33 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
8- Europeans Want EU's Own Army Amid Falling Confidence in US (opens UNN in a new tab)
- New Survey: More than Seventy Percent of Europeans Want the EU to Have Its Own Army (opens Dnevni list Danas in a new tab)
Dnevni list Danas — is Dnevni list Danas biased? Our profile of this outlet
- More than 70 per Cent of Europeans Wanted to Form Their Own Army in the EU (opens charter97.org in a new tab)
charter97.org — is charter97.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- NATO Is a Guarantee of Security and No One Wants to Leave the EU, International Survey Shows (opens Novinky.cz in a new tab)
Novinky.cz — is Novinky.cz biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Europeans overwhelmingly back creation of EU army amid fears of war with Russia (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Europeans overwhelmingly back creation of EU army amid fears of war with Russia (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Survey finds 71% support EU army in 11 member states (opens SANA in a new tab)
- European citizens overwhelmingly back creation of an EU army, survey finds (opens Politico Europe in a new tab)
Politico Europe — is Politico Europe biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
2Right
2- 7 Out of 10 Europeans "Wish for EU to Have a military"... Support for Conscription Is High (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Europeans Massively Supported the Creation of an EU Army (opens vz.ru in a new tab)
Not rated
21- Romania, the Country with the Highest Level of Support for a Joint EU Army (opens spotmedia.ro in a new tab)
spotmedia.ro — is spotmedia.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 71% support creation of European Union army (opens The Portugal News in a new tab)
The Portugal News — is The Portugal News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Seven Out of Ten Europeans Support the Creation of a Joint European Army, According to a Survey. (opens Business AM in a new tab)
Business AM — is Business AM biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Over 70% of Europeans Want the EU to Have Its Own Army and Return to Conscription (opens Actualno.com in a new tab)
Actualno.com — is Actualno.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Many Want an Independent European Army, but They Wouldn't Let Go of NATO Either - in Germany, There Is Already a Majority Who See America as a Threat (opens Világgazdaság in a new tab)
Világgazdaság — is Világgazdaság biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Romania, the Country Where Most Citizens Support the Creation of a European Army. 82% Want a Common EU Military Force (opens Aktual24 in a new tab)
- GLOBSEC 2026 Report: More and More Europeans Support the Creation of a European Army, the Reintroduction of Compulsory Military Service and Perceive Trump as a Threat to Global Security (opens Gândul in a new tab)
- 7 Out of 10 Europeans Want the EU to Have Its Own Army. Romanians Most Excited About the Idea, Survey Shows (opens Stirile Antena 1 Observator in a new tab)
Stirile Antena 1 Observator — is Stirile Antena 1 Observator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 13 more
- Europeans Want a Common EU Army, on the Basis of Russia's Threat. Romania, the Country with the Highest Level of Support (opens Mediafax in a new tab)
- Europeans Overwhelmingly Support the Formation of a European Army. As Romanians See Such a Project (opens Stirile Pro TV in a new tab)
Stirile Pro TV — is Stirile Pro TV biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A Large Majority of EU Citizens Support the Creation of a European Army and Cooperation with NATO, with a Growing Distrust of the US (opens nin.rs in a new tab)
- GLOBSEC Poll: 82% of Romanians Support an EU Army, but only 24% Consider the Country Ready for a Major Crisis or War (opens caleaeuropeana.ro in a new tab)
caleaeuropeana.ro — is caleaeuropeana.ro biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Europe Wants Its Own Army: As Many as 71 Percent of Respondents Support Joint EU Forces Face | The only Independent Media House (opens face.ba in a new tab)
- Its Army, but without a Refusal From NATO: The Europeans Have Massively Supported the Creation of an EU Armed Force. (opens Life.ru in a new tab)
- IS THE EU GETTING A JOINT ARMY!? These Are the Results of a Major Survey (opens vecernji.ba in a new tab)
vecernji.ba — is vecernji.ba biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Joint Army of the EU, What the Survey Among Citizens Showed and What Is the Attitude Towards the USA (opens srpskainfo.com in a new tab)
srpskainfo.com — is srpskainfo.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Formiranje Zajedničke Vojske EU Navodno Podržava 71 Posto Europljana (opens Radiotelevizija Herceg-Bosne in a new tab)
Radiotelevizija Herceg-Bosne — is Radiotelevizija Herceg-Bosne biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Europeans Call for European Army, Support NATO, but See US as a "Threat" (opens dnews.gr in a new tab)
- Most Europeans Support the Creation of Their Own Army by the European Union (opens 1news.com.ua in a new tab)
1news.com.ua — is 1news.com.ua biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Most Europeans Would Like the EU to Have Its Own Army (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- 71 Percent of Europeans Want EU Army of Their Own, GLOBSEC Finds (opens upday in a new tab)
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